THE  AMERICAN 
JOURNAL  OF  PHARMACY. 
APRIL,  1883. 
INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  DRUGS, 
By  William  Edwin  Saitndeks,  Ph.G. 
From  an  Inaugural  Essay  presented  to  the  Philadelphia  College  of 
Pharmacy. 
In  this  paper  is  given  simply  what  has  been  noted  by  the  writer 
during  a  study  of  these  insects  extending  over  more  than  a  year. 
Sirodrepa  panicea. — This  is  the  elliptical,  reddish-brown  beetle, 
about  one-eighth  of  an  inch  long,  which  is  found  in  almost  every 
edible  drug,  and  in  some,  such  as  aconite  root  and  capsicum,  that 
would  be  pronounced  far  from  edible.  In  addition  to  these  two  drugs, 
I  have  found  it  in  bitter  almonds,  sweet  almonds,  angelica,  boneset, 
calumba,  chamomile,  chocolate,  coriander,  dandelion,  elm  bark,  ergot, 
extract  of  licorice,  German  chamomile,  orris  root,  prince's  pine,  rhu- 
barb, squill,  and  sweet  flag. 
The  larva  is  white,  Avith  a  brown  head,  is  about  twice  as  long  as  the 
beetle  when  full  grown,  although  it  is  seldom  or  never  seen  stretched 
out  at  full  length,  always  remaining  curled  up  in  a  ball.  It  will  in 
time  fairly  honeycomb  a  piece  of  root  with  small  holes  about  one- 
twenty-fifth  of  an  inch  in  diameter,  at  the  end  of  which  it  is  generally 
to  be  seen  at  home.  Under  the  influence  of  camphor,  these  larvae 
become  uneasy,  but  being  apparently  unable  to  crawl  away,  resign 
themselves  to  their  fate,  and  seem  to  thrive  just  as  well  with  camphor 
as  without  it. 
Calandra  remotopunctata.—Th\s  is  a  small,  black  beetle,  about  the 
size  of  the  last,  with  what  is  popularly  termed  a  "snout,"  projecting 
from  the  front  of  the  head  downwards.  Under  the  microscope  the 
back,  thorax,  and  head  are  seen  to  be  finely  pitted,  giving  the  insect  a 
rough  appearance.  It  was  found  in  large  numbers,  the  larva  feeding  * 
on  pearl  barley,  inside  of  which  it  lives,  the  egg  being  probably  laid 
in  the  grain  by  the  parent,  and  on  hatching,  the  little  insect  makes  its 
home  there,  eating  all  but  the  shell,  and  sometimes  attacking  the  grain 
from  the  outside. 
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